New research from SAP Engagement Cloud finds that 21 percent of consumers are already using AI agents to help them purchase products and services, a figure that jumps to 43 percent among Gen Z shoppers.
The study, conducted in partnership with Opinium, surveyed 1,500 senior decision makers and 3,000 US consumers between December 2025 and January 2026.
The findings suggest that despite scepticism over whether shoppers are genuinely using agents in their buying journey, many already are: 74 percent say AI agents help them make faster, more informed purchasing decisions.
As a result, brands risk losing valuable consumer data and insight as they cede some ownership of the customer journey they have traditionally controlled. The research shows this challenge intensifies during “high-intensity” periods such as seasonal shopping events, cultural moments, or major sporting events, when brands must keep marketing, inventory, fulfilment, and customer service tightly aligned.
Sara Richter, CMO of SAP Engagement Cloud, said agentic AI is turning engagement into a real-time, enterprise-wide capability, but that this remains difficult for many brands in practice, since data is often spread across disconnected systems. She said: “Data is often spread across disconnected systems, teams operate in silos, and inconsistent data quality limits the ability to act in the moment. Most organisations want to deliver joined-up engagement, but few have the operational foundation to do so at scale. Those with more unified core systems are in a much stronger position.”
“Major sports events and peak trading periods are not just marketing opportunities – they are operational stress tests,” Richter added. “The brands that succeed will be those that can act on data instantly to deliver experiences customers value.”
Closing the Data Gap
One of the key benefits AI offers brands is real-time insight into customer behaviour, enabling more tailored campaigns and helping brands spot patterns that go beyond broad, one-size-fits-all marketing.
American guitar maker Gibson is one company already putting this into practice, using AI to draw on customer data and drive more relevant engagement.
“One of the biggest opportunities for us is making better use of the data we already have,” said Jonathan Martz, Senior CRM Manager at Gibson. “AI helps us identify patterns in real time, so we can move beyond broad campaigns.”
